Contents:
- Medical Video: What Will Happen If You Eat Nothing for 7 Days
- How can the body lack fat?
- What are the consequences if the body lacks fat?
- 1. Depression
- 2. Risk of experiencing various vitamin deficiencies
- 3. Often feel cold
- 4. Disrupting the health of the heart and blood vessels
- 5. Feel hungry and often hungry
- So, how much fat should you consume in a day?
Medical Video: What Will Happen If You Eat Nothing for 7 Days
In your opinion, does the body need fat? Or even you think fat only makes the body fat and can cause disease only? Maybe you are one of many people who have folds in the abdomen or large size of thighs and arms, due to fat buildup. Indeed, today more people are fat and have excessive fat in their bodies. But have you ever thought about what would happen to a body that lacks fat?
How can the body lack fat?
Fat is one of the macro nutrients that has many functions to maintain body balance. As with various nutrients needed by the body, fat is a nutrient that must be present in every food we eat. There are various types of fats which each have their own health effects.
For bad and bad fats, such as saturated fat, if too much is consumed it does cause heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and diabetes mellitus. However, there are also fats that are good and beneficial for health, namely monounsaturated and multiple fats.
If you apply a low-fat diet, will it reduce fat levels in your body? Yes, it could be, but it does not make your body free of fat because actually fat is found in almost all food sources, except for vegetables and fruits. So, when you do not consume fat sources such as margarine, but consume a source of carbohydrates and protein, then the fat will remain in your body. So, it is not possible to avoid fat completely.
What are the consequences if the body lacks fat?
In fact, if there is excessive protein and carbohydrates in the body, the body will naturally store and convert it to fat. But lack of fat can occur, especially lack of good fats in the body. Here are things that might happen if your body lacks fat:
1. Depression
Less fat intake can cause a person to experience depression. This is related to the function of fat which plays a role in the synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters, one of which is serotonin. Serotonin is a substance in the nervous system called a neurotransmitter that plays a role in generating feelings of calm and peace. So, if you lack fat in food consumed, you are at risk of experiencing depression and various other mental health disorders.
READ ALSO: Which Is Better to Overcome Depression: Medication or Healthy Life?
2. Risk of experiencing various vitamin deficiencies
Fat plays an important role in metabolism and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, namely vitamins A, D, E, K. These vitamins require fat in the body to be absorbed. According to a study conducted by researchers from Colorado State University, the condition of lack of fat soluble vitamins is rarely found, but it is not impossible. If this happens, the body's functions will be disrupted and various health problems arise. For example, just a problem with the skin, the skin becomes dry, looks pale and dull, because vitamin E which is good for the skin is less in the body.
Not only that, bone disorders may occur due to lack of vitamin D and vitamin K, vision problems associated with a lack of vitamin A.
READ ALSO: The Importance of Vitamin A for Child Growth
3. Often feel cold
One function of fat is to maintain body temperature to always be normal. Everyone has subcutaneous fat, which is fat under the skin layer. This type of fat that keeps the body from the cold outside air. Not only that, these fats will produce heat so that the body is not cold. Therefore, thin people often feel cold or sensitive to low ambient temperatures.
READ ALSO: Changes in Room Temperature Suddenly at Risk for Health
4. Disrupting the health of the heart and blood vessels
Fat is divided into two types based on the nature and impact on the body, namely good fat and bad fat. Good fat is high density lipoprotein (HDL) which functions to pick up the remains of fat which accumulates in the blood vessels and then is carried to the liver, which is the place of fat metabolism in the body. When you apply a low-fat diet, the amount of HDL - good fat - in the body decreases. In fact, HDL is good for the health of the heart and blood vessels. Lack of this type of fat will cause some heart problems.
5. Feel hungry and often hungry
Various studies have proven that eating fat sources that are suitable with your needs can hold hunger longer and help regulate appetite. Monounsaturated and single polyunsaturated fats are considered a good and effective source of fat to resist hunger. The American Heart Association recommends consuming monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, such as avocados, olive oil, various types of fish.
So, how much fat should you consume in a day?
In people who are normal and in a healthy condition, the proportion of fat in one day is between 20 and 25 percent of total calories. This of course also depends on age, body condition, and the amount of total fat in the body - a blood test is needed to determine the levels.
In addition, the composition of the types of fat that must be considered, it is better to eat foods that contain more monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, because it will increase HDL levels in the body. While consumption of saturated fat should not exceed 10% of total fat intake in one day.
READ ALSO: Vegetable Fat Is Not Always Healthier Than Animal Fat
